Where is the best place to live in a small block of flats

whistles

I don't want to take a thread off topic about when to use the washing machine or bath etc.

If you had a choice would you opt for the top floor because there won't be any noise above you? Possibly nicer views /things to look at if you are home more.

Are new builds likely to be more noisy than older thicker walls. I am assuming that older means colder, but that could simply be my incorrect first impression. My current property is hard to keep warm.

I visited a friend and I could faintly here the tv in the flat next door.

I might be offered a flat and having never lived in one, I can only go by my guess work.

I wouldn't want the ground floor even if the block comes with a lift. I feel that I would be taking a space off someone with mobility needs. I have seen that the lower ones seem to have some outside space and in some cases double doors to open and sit out.

Ranald

I can't say where in an unknown block of flats it is best for you to live, but modern housing has much better insulation and sound proofing that older ones.

In my building, my neighbour has the tv on very loud, and I can't hear it at all. I haven't pressed my ear to the wall; I might hear a faint sound then! (I know tv is loud, as she asked me if I was being bothered with the volume).

With regards to heating, there is no comparison to the 1960s block i used to live in. Very good heat retention now. This is council housing we're talking here, not some plush development.

whistles

Being able to afford to keep the place warm in winter is a concern of mine.

Current place is hard to keep warm. But, I if I rented my own flat I would sort any drafts etc.

Nightcity

slightly off topic but please consider avoiding top floor flats where there is no lift.

I'm in a top floor flat in an old building with no lift, I've been here since 2008; back then I was (physical) well.

I'm now mostly incapable of leaving home because my legs are too untrustworthy and I'm prone to falls and knee give outs regularly.

back on topic you hear everything, I hear the kids below (no worries lovely family) AND also hear the horrible family below them!!

I have to ramp my own TV up at weekends just to drown it out, I hate noise with my autism including my own TV having to go above the weekday daytime level. The nice family below never hears me I've asked before if my pug occasionally barking annoys them, but she is not a barky dog in general thankfully and has a quiet soft bark anyway.

whistles

It would be sheltered or social housing I am looking at, so hopefully these would have a lift.

Anything private appears to be first floor with lots of stairs or outside steps which although I am mobile, wouldn't be considered safe with my issues. In fact looking at some places would make me wisdom the health and safety for anyone to live in them if icy.

WhatThe

An obvious advantage of social housing is super-cheap rent! The trade off is you cannot expect perfect facilities.

The last Labour governments introduced The Decent Home Standard and invested heavily to improve existing housing stock. That's why they were criticised for their lack of new builds. Those improvements are ongoing and will take many more years to complete.

OverlyAnxious

There are pros and cons to being upstairs and downstairs. Being top floor actually isn't that quiet - heavy rain makes a lot of noise and where I live birds run across the roof regularly and keep dropping something large (nuts/seeds!?) which also make a surprising amount of noise. I can also hear all sorts of things downstairs such as TV/radio, speech, pots and pans banging in the kitchen, microwave beeping, and noise from water pipes and washing machine.

My flat is only around 20 years old but it's impossible to keep warm. The PVC window frames are very draughty. I've tried adding some foam strip draught-proofing around the edges but that hasn't made a difference, I think it's actually coming in around the glass. There's no seal around the internal front door so a draught comes through there every time someone opens the outside door as well. The heating is useless as it's all electric rather than being central heating.

This is private rental though, social housing may be better in terms of heating etc as they do seem to be adding more efficient systems to some of those.

whistles

It's going to be strange wherever I end up as I am moving from a bungalow with neighbours either side, just not above or below.